We Have Everything We Need to Live for Him

Some thoughts on 2 Peter 1:3-9 . . .

As His divine power has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness . . . (2 Peter 1:3a)

We have been given everything we need to live for Him. For everything that He has called us to do. To think, speak, and act in way that brings Him honor and glory. Everything.

Faith. Virtue. Knowledge. Self control. Perseverance. Godliness. Brotherly kindness. Love.

Yet, verses 8-9 imply that there are people that know the Lord, but whose lives are ineffective and unproductive. Because they are missing these essential character qualities. They lack a true understanding of the gospel, that Christ died and was resurrected so that they would possess these qualities. They have a poor understanding of their true identity in Christ and need to be reminded of the resources that they have in Him. Nearsighted and blind, they have forgotten that they have been cleansed from their past sins. They lack assurannce of their salvation.

In the larger context of Peter’s epistle, we learn that Peter presents a model of the Christian life, a model in which God saves us and redeems us, not so we can separate ourselves from the evil world that exists (as some may desire to do), but so that we can glorify Him in the midst of a fallen and evil world. And Peter says that we can expect to suffer as we do so. Christ did. We will.

Having everything I need to live for Him, I can stand strong as I battle cancer. My son has everything he needs to get through Beast Barracks at West Point. The open air evangelist can stand strong as she proclaims the gospel on the city streets. We can engage our culture with confidence, knowing that God has empowered us to be agents of change in a world that has turned its back on Him and His Word.

We have everything we need to live for Him.